List of Danish monarchs

This is a list of Danish monarchs, that is, the Kings and ruling Queen of Denmark, including Regents of the Kalmar Union. This includes:

• The Kingdom of Denmark (up to 1396)
  • Personal union of Denmark and Norway (1380-1396)
  • The Kalmar Union (1397-1536)
    • Kings of Denmark claiming (sometimes successfully) the Crown of Sweden (1397-1523)
    • Kings of Denmark claiming (mostly successfully) the Crown of Norway (1397-1536)
• The Kingdom of Denmark (1536 to present)
• The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway (1536-1814)
  • With Iceland (1536-1918, then in personal union 1918-1944)
  • With Greenland
  • With the Faroe Islands

Gorm the Old was the first Danish monarch who is known to be a real person. All reigns before him are dubious. Denmark has one of the longest running unbroken lines of succession in the world, second only to that of the Japanese emperors.

The house of Oldenburg held the Danish Crown between 1448 and 1863, when it passed to the house of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. The kingdom had been elective until 1660, and until 1864 it was also united in personal union with the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Danish name forms are given in parenthesis.

List of dubious Danish monarchs

See: List of Dubious Danish Kings

Note: Above list of dubious kings affected the numbering of subsequent Danish monarchs:

1. Harold Bluetooth is sometimes accounted as Harald II and hence Harald II Svendsen as III and Harald Hen as IV.
   
2. Canute the Great as Knud II.

List of Danish monarchs

• mentioned 936, died earliest 958: Gorm the Old (Gorm den Gamle) note!: A mix of two person, both kings by danes, Guthrum of East Anglia and Gorm the English of Denmark and Norway
• died 987 at the latest : Harold Bluetooth (Harald I Blåtand)
• died 1014  : Sweyn I Forkbeard (or maybe Svein I Doublebeard) (Svend I Tveskæg)
• 1014-1018 : Harold II (Harald II Svendsen)
• 1018-1035 : Canute the Great (Knud II den Store)
• 1035-1042 : Canute the Hardy (Knud III Hardeknud)
• 1042-1047 : Magnus I (Magnus den Gode)
• 1047-1076 : Sweyn Estridson (Svend II Estridsen)
• 1076-1080 : Harald III (Harald III Hen)
• 1080-1086 : Canute the Saint (Knud IV den Hellige)
• 1086-1095 : Olaf I (Oluf I Hunger)
• 1095-1103 : Eric I (Erik I Ejegod)
• 1104-1134 : Niels (Niels)
• 1134-1137 : Eric II (Erik II Emune)
• 1137-1146 : Eric III (Erik III Lam)
• 1140-1143 : Olaf II (Oluf II)
• 1146-1157 : Sweyn III (Svend III Grathe), Canute V (Knud V) and Valdemar the Great (Valdemar I den Store)
• 1157-1182 : Valdemar I, the Great (Valdemar I den Store)
• 1182-1202 : Canute VI (Knud VI)
• 1202-1241 : Valdemar II, the Victorious (Valdemar II Sejr)
• 1241-1250 : Eric IV (Erik IV Plovpenning)
• 1250-1252 : Abel (Abel)
• 1252-1259 : Christopher I (Christoffer I)
• 1259-1286 : Eric V (Erik V Glipping)
• 1286-1320 : Eric VI (Erik VI Menved)
• 1320-1326 : Christopher II (Christoffer II)
• 1326-1329 : Valdemar III (Valdemar III)
• 1329-1332 : Christopher II (Christoffer II)
• 1332-1340 : (nobody) (Interregnum)
• 1340-1376 : Valdemar Atterdag (Valdemar IV Atterdag)
• 1376-1387 : Olaf III (Oluf III)
• 1387-1412 : Margaret I (Margrete I)
• 1412-1439 : Eric of Pomerania (Erik VII af Pommern)
• 1440-1448 : Christopher III (Christoffer III af Bayern)

House of Oldenburg

• 1448-1481 : Christian I (Christian I)
• 1481-1513 : John (Hans)
• 1513-1523 : Christian II (Christian II)
• 1523-1533 : Frederick I (Frederik I)
• 1534-1559 : Christian III (Christian III)
• 1559-1588 : Frederick II (Frederik II)
• 1588-1648 : Christian IV (Christian IV)
• 1648-1670 : Frederick III (Frederik III)
• 1670-1699 : Christian V (Christian V)
• 1699-1730 : Frederick IV (Frederik IV)
• 1730-1746 : Christian VI (Christian VI)
• 1746-1766 : Frederick V (Frederik V)
• 1766-1808 : Christian VII (Christian VII)
• 1808-1839 : Frederick VI (Frederik VI)
• 1839-1848 : Christian VIII (Christian VIII)
• 1848-1863 : Frederick VII (Frederik VII)

The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

• 1863-1906 : Christian IX
• 1906-1912 : Frederik VIII
• 1912-1947 : Christian X
• 1947-1972 : Frederik IX
• Since 1972  : Margrethe II

See also

• List of Succession to the Danish Throne
• List of Icelandic rulers
• List of Norwegian monarchs
• List of Swedish monarchs
• lists of incumbents
• Danish monarchs family tree
• Danish Orders of Chivalry